Conventional solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) operate with gaseous fuels such as hydrogen and hydrocarbons. Producing, storing, and transporting hydrogen remains costly. Although hydrocarbon fuels are relatively low cost, the use of hydrocarbon fuels in a SOFC requires a number of complex steps such as partial oxidation or reforming with a sophisticated control scheme. Further, directly feeding hydrocarbon fuel to a SOFC has been shown to result in a gradual degradation of the anode of the fuel cell due to carbon deposition.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,940,454 discloses a direct-electrochemical-oxidation fuel cell that generates electrical energy using a solid-state organic fuel. However, certain of the solid fuels disclosed therein can cause dirty operating conditions or can include impurities. The use of those solid fuels can also lead to contamination of additional fuel used in the fuel cell.
Thus, a need remains in the art for an improved direct-electrochemical-oxidation fuel cell.